Godfrey knoche



(No Model.)

G. KNOCHE. BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

No. 560,137. Patented May 12, 1896.

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GODFREY KNOCHE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,137, dated May 12,1896.

Application filed January 3l, 1895. Serial No. 536,830. (No model.)

T all whom it Wray concern:

Be it known that I, GODFEEY KNocHE, a subject of the Emperor ofGermany,and a resident of New York city, New York, have invented certainImprovements in Building Construction, of which the followingis aspecitication.

My invention relates to ireproof iioors or roofs composed of artificialstone or cement, the object of my invention being to so construct such afloor or roof as to largely or entirely dispense with the heavy metalbeams now employed in making the same, and thereby not only verymaterially cheapen the structure, but also greatly decrease the weightof the same. This object I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l isa sectional diagram illustrating the opposite walls and the floor of abuilding constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is asimilar view taken in a plane transversely to Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 2, but illustrating an additional feature of theinvention. Fig. et is a View illustrating a system of bracing which ispreferable in some eases. Fig. 5 is a view of part of the floor on alarger scale than the other figures. Fig. G is a perspective view ofpart of one of the bracing or strengthening strips employed, and Figs.A7 and 8 are respectivelya transverse section and a sectional plan ortop view of part of the structure shown in Fig.

In Figs. l and 2, A A represent the opposite walls of a building, and Ba door supported thereby and consisting of a bed of artificial stone orcement. Usually such floors are stiffened and strengthened by means ofvertical I-beams embedded in the cement and extending from wall to wall;but these I-beams are so heavy and so expensive as to preclude the useof ireproof oors in very many structures, such as dwellings, cheaptenements or apartment houses, small factories, and the like where theiremployment would otherwise be extremely advisable. rIhe deiiection of acement floor, however, can be guarded against by simply stitenin g thesame against tensile strain-that is to say, strain tending to pull itapart-for a cement or artiiicial-stone composition can be employed whichis amply strong enough to resist any compressive strains to which it islikely to be subjected. This being borne in mind, it will be seen thatthe upper half of a vertical I-beam is practically of but little valuein adding strength to the door, for all portions of the mass of theiioor above the central or neutral axis of the same are undercompression when the floor is so weighted as to cause deflection, andthe cement compound can be amply strong enough to resist thiscompression strain without the metal beam, the latter being of value inresisting the tensile strain to which that portion of the mass of thefloor below the central or neutral axis is subjected when the floor isdeflected by overloading.

In carrying out my invention, therefore, I stiften the mass of cementcomposing the iloor by inserting therein, as close to the bottom of themass as is consistent with proper lireproofing, bars or strips ct,extending from wall to wall, as shown in Fig. l. These bars or stripscan be placed as closely together as desired, and the strips can be madeof light sheet metal, so that thedesired strength can be gained at veryslight expense, extreme lightness of the bars or strips not beinginconsistent with the possession of all of the tensile strengthnecessary to resist the strains to which they are subjected, the bars orstrips being wholly relieved from any compressive strain, owing to thefact that they are located wholly below the central line or neutral axisof the mass of the iloor.

In order to increase the hold of the cement upon the strips, I prefer tostrike up from the same spurs or barbs b, some of thesebarbs projectingfrom one face of the strip and soine from the opposite face of the same,as shown in Figs. 5 and In some cases I may combine with the bars orstrips a one or more Ifbeams d, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the mass orbulk of the oor will be in a measure subdivided, in order to preventunregulated cracking of the same, which is likely to follow shrinkage ina single mass of cement of large area. If in the floor shown in Fig. 3there is any cracking of the cement due to shrinkage, the lines ofcleavage will follow the beams d, owing to the decrease in the bulk ofcement at these point-s and the consequent lessened resistance tocleavage at such points. In this case it IOO will be well to tie thebeams d together by transverse tie-rods d', which are preferably carriedbeneath the bars or strips a, so as to provide a support therefor, andin order to provide on the light beams d a suihcient mass of metal forthe proper connection of the tierods I secure to one or both sides ofsaid beam a bracket cl2, through which, as well as through the web ofthe beam, the tie-rod passes. (See Figs. 7 and 8.) The brackets andtie-rods may be disposed at any suitable distance apart throughout thelength of the beams d, thereby to a certain extent subdividing the massof cement both transversely and longitudinally. The use of theprojecting brackets on the beams also very materially stiii'ens the ioorby forming between the beams rectangular masses of cement engaged at thecorners by the brackets, these masses of cement thus confined at thecorners acting somewhat in the same manner as groined arches to resistpressure from above. I may also in some eases for greater security usetwo sets of bars or strips at right angles to each other-as shown, forinstance, at a in Fig. et; but in most cases a single set of bars orstrips will be all that is necessary. In all cases, however, the bars orstrips are located below the central or neutral axis of the masscomposing the floor, and the strips are by preference always disposedlatwise or horizontally, as shown, so that they may be of any desiredwidth, and yet, while contained wholly in the lower portion of the mass,can be amply protected from the eiects of iire in the room or apartmentbeneath.

Having thus described my invention, I clailn and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. A floor or roof consisting of a mass of artificialstone or cement having strengthening bars or strips of metal embeddedtherein and located below the central or neutral axis of the mass, beamsor channels of metal disposed at intervals throughout the mass, andtie-rods extending from beam to beam, the ends of said tie-rods passingthrough the webs of the beams and being provided with retaining-nuts,and the rods being embedded in the mass of cement between the beams,substantially as speciiied.

2. A floor or roof consisting of a mass of artificial stone or cementhaving' strengthening bars or strips of metal embedded therein andlocated below the central or neutral axis of the mass, beams or channelsof metal disposed at intervals throughout the mass, and tie-rodsextending from beam to beam and passing beneath the strengthening barsor strips, the opposite ends of said tie-rods passing through the websof the bea-ms and being provided with retaining-nuts, substantially asspeciiied.

3. A floor or roof consisting of a mass of artificial stone or cementhaving strengthening bars or strips of metal embedded therein andlocated below the central or neutral axis of the mass, beams or channelsof metal disposed at intervals throughout the mass, brackets secured tosaid beams, and tie-rods connecting the beams and passing through thewebs of the same and through the brackets, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GODFREY KNOCHE. `Witnesses JOSEPH H. KLEIN, FRANK E. BEcHToLD.

